John Dilbeck Musings

First of all, I hope you have a very happy holiday season and I wish for you and your family a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2005.

This will be the last time you hear from me before the end of the year unless you write me.

The last day of 2004 is only one week from right now. That means we only have one week left to achieve the goals we set for this year.

Perhaps you have more than achieved what you planned. Congratulations!

On the other hand, perhaps you haven’t been as successful this year as you’d hoped and dreamed. Maybe there isn’t enough time to do what you planned before the year ends.

You know what?

It’s okay.

Look at what you’ve done, what you’ve wanted to do, and what you couldn’t do. Try to put everything in perspective. Then, re-examine what brought you to SFI.

(Not an SFI affiliate? Learn about it here.)

Was it the opportunity to earn more money?

Was it the chance to gain the freedom to do what you want on your own schedule?

What was YOUR reason for becoming an affiliate?

How much progress have you made on getting there?

The end of 2004 is not the end of the world. Just as one season follows another, 2005 will follow 2004. You have a new opportunity to examine your goals, make new plans, and work to achieve what you want.

I was looking through some of the articles in IAHBE this morning and I read “My Biggest Mistake in Network Marketing” by Tom Wood. It is a very interesting article, and if you are an IAHBE member you can read it here:

http://www.iahbe.org/Resources/Reports/ExpertReports/WOODMyBiggestMistake.jsp

(If you’re not a member of the International Association of Home Business Entrepreneurs, you can learn more about it here.)

Like most of us, he saw the opportunity to earn more, be his own boss, gain the freedom to set his own schedule, and do the other things we dream of when we first learn about SFI.

He had some success in the first month, but he sure didn’t get rich — and neither did you or I.

He kept working, but even into the second and third month he could have earned more working for minimum wage than he was earning from his new home business.

But he listened to his upline and knew the big money was years down the road.

In his third month, some of his downline started quitting! How was he to ever build an empire of freedom if everyone quit?

So, his upline told him to go to his “chicken list.”

What’s a chicken list?

It’s the people you are too chicken to call.

“They’re the people that don’t quit. Find people who don’t quit in their life, and you will have a rock-solid business.”

So, he lined up his list and made his worst mistake in network marketing.

First, he chose someone who had no success in business.

Second, he didn’t do a great job of presenting the business to him.

Third, the prospect turned out to be a mean-spirited person who blew up and said he never wanted to hear from him, again.

Fourth, he cared too much about what the prospect said.

Fifth, he spiraled down into misery.

But, eventually, he realized, “I’m in charge of my life. I’m responsible for my destiny.”

If you want to read the rest of the story, it’s available to all IAHBE members.

When I signed up with SFI, I made a decision I was going to make it to the top and I was going to achieve my dreams — no matter how long it takes and no matter how much work I have to do. I feel as strong about that now as I did then.

(I even started a website at AYearFromNow.com with the theme of Act On Your Dream! I haven’t had time to work on it much this year, but it will become my top priority in January and February. I decided earlier this year what my big life’s dream is and I’ve been working hard to put things in place to achieve that dream in the next few years. I’ll be talking more about it on that site as I have time to work on it for the next couple of months.)

I know that I’ll never get to where I want to go without the help of many others from around the world.

I also decided that I’d never get to where I want to go without helping others along the way. I chose for my motto: I succeed by helping you succeed.

I’m not going to quit. Are you?

I believe in you. I believe in your dreams.

Now, if you decide that it’s best to quit SFI, that’s okay. Be true to yourself and do what’s best for you. But, don’t quit on yourself. You can achieve the success you want if you keep working at it every day.

I want you to succeed as much as I want to succeed.

But, I can’t do it for you. You are the master of your destiny and you have to find a path for yourself that will take you where you want to go.

Never give up on yourself. Never give up on your dream. Never let anyone else steal your dream from you.

If you still want to succeed with SFI (or any other business), you’ll find a way to make it happen.

I will help you get there any way I can.

One week from tomorrow, we start a new year. We have a new opportunity to act on our dream and achieve the success and freedom for which we yearn.

Nobody will do it for you. Nobody will do it for me.

As Gery Carson says, “If’s it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

When 2005 rolls around, a brand new compensation plan will be implemented.

I’m ready and I’m aching to work even harder in 2005 than I have in 2004.

I’m MIQ this month and I’ll be in the T-Net when it is formed one week from tomorrow. You may have done the same thing this month. I’m very happy that you did and I want to congratulate you on your foresight. This new comp plan looks like it’s going to work well for all of us.

You may feel that you can’t afford to become MIQ this month. I understand that.

Just a little over two years ago I had to close my metalsmithing business to care for my Mom. I depleted my savings and had no income. So, I turned to online marketing so Mom could continue living at home and I could earn the income I need to live here. I scrimped and saved just to afford the hosting fees for JohnDilbeck.com. I kept at it. I added hundreds and then thousands of pages to the site. It started earning a little money.

Then I added more websites and more weblogs. Now, I’m paying more per month for hosting services than I earned the first year and my profit is growing. Each year, I’m earning several times more than I earned the previous year. But, it’s not easy.

It’s like pushing a boulder off a cliff. At first, it takes all your effort and you barely get any results. It’s easy to despair and quit. But, you keep pushing and slowly, with great difficulty, it moves a fraction of an inch. If you stop now, it will settle back and all that effort will be wasted.

So, you keep pushing, and the more energy and time you put into it, the more the boulder starts to move. Slowly - but surely - you can see it move.

When you first started pushing the boulder, everyone around you thought you were crazy. They laughed at you and told you it would never move. Nobody would help.

But, you kept at it. When it started to move and the people around you could see it for themselves, the laughing subsided. How could someone tell you it was impossible if they could see with their own eyes that you were doing it.

Now, it’s time to keep pushing — even harder than before. As momentum builds, others around you will pay attention. Eventually, gravity will take over and be your friend instead of your tormentor. The boulder moves faster. Now, your friends want to help.

That’s the way it is with a business, too. When the boulder starts moving (income starts coming in), it’s easier to get people to help you. Even if they laughed at you and told you it wasn’t possible, they can still become valuable team members. Don’t hold their lack of foresight and imagination against them.

Welcome them to your team and help them start pushing their own boulders.

We’re in this together. You help me. I help you. We help each other.

As the Team Network comes into being, we’ll be helping each other in a whole new way. It will take some time to see how it all works together. There may be some glitches that will have to be fixed, but I have confidence in the staff at SFI and I know they’ll smooth things out within a few days.

Whether you want to earn an extra $100 per month or you’re willing and able to work full-time to earn thousands of dollars per month, it starts by believing in yourself and taking action.

No action - no income. No sales - no income. No sponsoring new affiliates - no team.

I challenge you.

Make your chicken list. Find people in your neighborhood who are successful in business and know how to sell. Then, tell them about SFI. Show them how they can earn income by promoting the services and products we offer. Show them how they can become a part of your team. If you can’t afford to become MIQ/EA because you just don’t have the money, don’t give up. Sponsor someone with the money, experience, and personality and work together to build your team. With work, it won’t be long before your income will pay for being EA and you’ll take your place in the new T-Net.

It’s not a game. It’s not a scam. You CAN build your home business and start earning that extra income you want.

Go to your chicken list. Tell them.

Even if you only talk to one person on that list, you’re taking a step forward. Soon, it will be two steps, and then you’ll be on your journey.

Promote the products SFI offers and earn the sales commission.

Build your team and work towards that residual income you want a few years from now.

Or, do nothing.

It’s your choice.

You came to SFI with a dream. Don’t let anyone steal that dream from you.

You are the master of your fate. You are the captain of your ship. You are the king of your castle.

You’re next. I want to be here when you make it to the top and earn whatever level of financial freedom you want. Even if you’re half-way around the world, I want to be a small part of helping you succeed.

Are you ready for the challenge?

Take some time and visit the training section at:

https://www.sfimg.com/Training/SpecialReports.sfi

Learn how to build your business and work on it every day. Don’t let that boulder stop moving!

Thank you for being a part of my team this year. Thank you for letting me be a part of your team.

I’m looking forward to working with you in 2005.

Let’s make it the best year, yet.

All the best,

JD